Hello,
While enjoying a cup of coffee! Just grabbed this news hot off the wire;
President Vladimir Putin on Monday 12-10-2007 backed the candidacy of The First Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in the March presidential election — this is the first time Putin has publicly supported a presumed successor.
Putin met with the leaders of four parties proposing Medvedev’s bid, Putin noted that he has known Medvedev for more than 17 years & has confidence in him.
“I completely and fully support this proposal,” Putin said in comments broadcast on state-run Channel One television.
To see the Qualifications of Medvedev…..
Dmitry Yevgenyevich Medvedev
Born: Sept. 14, 1965
Place of Birth: St. Petersburg
Education: Leningrad State University, degree in law, 1987; doctorate in law, 1990.
Advantages: Close to Putin and his St. Petersburg circle; reputation of being a liberal intellectual; embraced by foreign investors; has refrained from hawkish foreign policy remarks.
Disadvantages: No proven record of being effective civil servant because the outcome of the national projects being supervised by him have yet to materialize; lacks ability to motivate subordinates; not popular among the siloviki.
{A Silovik (силови́к, plural: siloviks or siloviki, силовики́, from a Russian word for power.) is a Russian politician from the old security or Military services, often the KGB and military (armed forces) officers or other security services who came into power in the terms of Boris Yeltsin or Vladimir Putin.}
Notable Quotes: “Democracy and national sovereignty need to be together. But one should not overwhelm the other.” Interview with Expert magazine, July 2006. “I was not born a boss, right? I always liked what I did, in the Kremlin administration and now in the White House.” Interview with Itogi magazine, April 2007. “I would like very much for Gazprom to become the most expensive company in the world.” Interview with Vedomosti, July 5, 2007.(link)
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Kyle
comments always welcome.